


In Union, There Is Strength (AKA: The Loneliest Team Player)

by Thementalistlover2013



Series: How To Whump Tony Stark (AKA: Anything & Everything Tony) [7]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Acceptance, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Apologies, Character Study, Consultant, Gen, Genius Tony Stark, Hurt Tony, Loneliness, M/M, Minor Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Poor Tony, Protective Tony, Team Bonding, Team Feels, Team bashing on Tony, Tony Has Trust Issues, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Whump, Tony-centric, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 01:03:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5688559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thementalistlover2013/pseuds/Thementalistlover2013
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because he cared, he cared about everyone on the team, even if no one worried a bit about him.  </p><p>He had planned everything out before it even had the chance of happening, and no one could understand that, so he was left to stand there afterwards as they stared on in shock, congratulating him for being lucky when luck had nothing to do with it. </p><p>He'd fought, and he'd fought right next to them, even if his SHIELD file was dripping in red, Natasha's pretty handwriting, and the word consultant. </p><p>During the fight? They'd all been equal, and that, that was something mesmerizing. </p><p>Tony Stark had always been alone and yet, he had always been a team player. </p><p>Prompt off of the Avengers kink meme: "And that is why Tony Stark, is and always was, a team player."</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Union, There Is Strength (AKA: The Loneliest Team Player)

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a quote by Aesop. I was scrolling through the kink meme in need of a muse and found this unclaimed gem, so I took it and ran. Warnings: Cursing (because Tony), Loneliness, Trust Issues. 
> 
> I hope that you enjoy! Don't forget to review/comment, kudo, and subscribe to the series for more Tony Angst!  
> EDIT: I realized after posting that a bottom section of the story was cut out, so I fixed it. Sorry for any confusion!

~*~

Tony could adapt in a second.

He was a chameleon, with reflexes as fast as Natasha's and eyes as sharp as Clint's.

His mind was always racing, looking for ways out (the most common, unfortunately), ways in, different routes.

Flying a suit of armor at increasingly high speeds forced this kind of thinking. If he _didn't_ think like this he'd be in the middle of every infrastructure in Manhattan by now.

(Which really wouldn't be that bad of a thing, the suit could take it, and God only knows how _poorly_ some of those buildings were made; _seriously, it was embarrassing_ , Tony needed to petition to get everything knocked down and rebuilt by Stark Industries - free of charge.)

Dry wall wasn't a good look for him, and neither was accidentally ramming into some oblivious middle-aged secretary named Marge (been there, done that), so Tony made sure to keep his turns sharp and tight and predict every possible variable in a timely manner.

It was how he lived his life, predicting and calculating and preparing; Stark men were made of Iron - _metaphorically_ , of course, even if Tony _could_ make it happen - and that meant they were capable and strong and reliable.

Tony lived by his father's egotistical motto now more than ever, because reliability was something akin to trust, and the entire team was standing on a layer of thinly laid trust.

Thinner than the brittle foundation used in some of the crappier built places around town, and while Tony was eager to knock that _shit_ over, he wouldn't dare touch anything when it had to do with the team.

They had accepted him, despite Natasha's lovely _Not Recommended_ spiel, after the Battle of Manhattan.

He'd fought, and he'd fought _right next_ to them, even if his SHIELD file was dripping in red, Natasha's pretty handwriting, and the word _consultant_.

During the fight? They'd all been equal, and _that,_ that was something mesmerizing.

Tony had never been equal to the likes of a god, two world renowned (secretly renowned of course, because _assassins_ ) agents, a man-beast with a heart of gold, _and_ Captain America.

No, Tony was selfish and self-volatile (he was sure there were more words to describe him that started with _self_ \- _really_ , Natasha's vocabulary was astounding _and_ offending, but he was only proving it right by talking about _himself not_ being _self_ centered).

Tony had always been told he was an asshole, self centered and uncaring; when those words had hurt, Tony knew that all of those people had been wrong - because he _cared_ about what people thought of him, and in turn, what people thought about his employees and friends.

Because he cared, he cared about everyone on the team, even if _no one_ worried a bit about him.

He never wanted to see anyone get hurt, especially anyone in good ol' America, the place that his father had been known to fight so hard to protect - in retrospect, Tony was a disgusting blemish on his reign, and that left a nasty taste in his mouth. In the beginning, it's why he'd made weapons to protect the country; he didn't _mean_ to provide the enemy with the best missiles and tech.

_He didn't mean for anyone to die._

And he surely didn't mean for that to put him on the top of the exclusion list. No one wanted to touch him with a ten foot pole after Afghanistan, and when he'd dropped weapon production, the only thing he got out of his so called family was outrage and an attempted murder.

This is what made him seem like somebody who worked solo. No one _wanted_ to work with him, because he was too fast, too smart and he had no filter (which was only the product of a constant stream of information, _thank you very much)._

Tony Stark had always been alone and yet, he had _always_ been a team player.

He worked well in groups, simply because he was deft at reading people, skillful when predicting their moves in advance, and great at studying - people, books, machines.

Studying was one of his favorite things, moments where he could take a person and examine their every move made his heart race with adrenaline; it was like getting a private sneak peek into their mind, and Tony was so lonely that it had sated him each and every time.

He'd done it ever since he could remember, and meeting the team had done nothing to stop his habit.

Luckily for them, it had helped out on the field on numerous occasions.

He was like their Jarvis, a constant help and support, the net that caught them when they fell (sometimes literally, _fucking Clint_ and his constant urge to hop onto and then off of collapsing - _see, they really were built horribly_ \- buildings).

Jarvis was the only team he'd had before the Avengers. Jarvis was _always_ there, understanding every move he'd make, calculating distances and enemies, sending out missiles without being enjoined.

Jarvis knew how well he worked with others, how fast his mind could run when needed.

They were one in the same, computers with feelings, who could adapt to anything thrown at them; Tony had made Jarvis, so Jarvis was part of him (which pleased him, because family that didn't attempt to beat him or kill him was welcome family).

Jarvis had been there when he'd _fought_ Rhodey and then fought next to Rhodey, watched how the two of them flew in tune, as beautiful and seamless as a choreographed dance against Ivan Vanko. It was the first time Tony'd had physical back up, and he couldn't help but notice the safety it birthed.

He'd joked _, "You wanna be a hero? I could use a sidekick."_

Then they were blasting Whiplash across the ground, burning him like a fucking _Triscuit_ ; flying away before the explosion could impact them.

But Tony had known Rhodey for years, and that was expected of them. They should know how one another would react to certain situations.

Tony wasn't so sure, because the moment he fell in step with Rhodey it was perfect; as if they'd been doing it their entire lives, and while they _were_ crazy college kids, they hadn't had the chance to fly around in armor.

He had continued to fight solo after that, because Rhodey had his loyalties to the military and _blah blah_ , _need your suits Tony._ This is when SHIELD, the _sneaky_ bastards, and the team came along.

The Avengers? He couldn't really pick that particular boy band apart; it was too much of a conundrum, the way everyone clicked together, just as he did with Rhodey.

The Battle of Manhattan was one of the most liberating and stressful days of his life.

Which meant he'd learned alot.

Tony counted _every_ step they made, took note of it, just incase they would ever need backup; he'd be right next to them, like another arm, synchronized and controlled:

He noticed how Steve, with all of his older military training, tended to fight _with_ his shield rather than behind it. He'd stick his entire body out there, swing, retreat, swing, retreat. He'd use it to ricochet things too, such as an enemy's head, or bullets. It seemed like Steve's shield was another appendage with the way he'd grip onto it and whip it out, nabbing anything in his way. He moved with incredible speed, and tended to fight where there were objects that he could use _as_ shields, just in case he was overrun. Steve was good at hiding when he needed to be, and could use any part of his surroundings to make do.

_Steve was an improviser._

Thor fought more obnoxiously, simply because he was even _more_ difficult to kill. Tony usually found the god attacking from anywhere the enemy happened to frequent, fearless towards any environment, even if his back was vulnerable. He, like Steve, used Mjölnir as a prop, his entire body moving with it as he charged forward, hair flying in the wind, teeth bared. He was slower in his attacks, thinking about things like momentum and distance even if he didn't realize it. Every whack was accompanied by a grunt or a roar, and Tony, even if he was supposed to be a _cruel selfish monster_ , found that incredibly hilarious.

_Thor was an intimidator._

Hulk _did_ have a type of fighting, even if smashing was the only thing an untrained eye would see. Like Banner, he was very cautious (believe it or not), especially when around civilians. He could smell an enemy out in seconds time (pheromones of fear were highly pungent), and once he made sure that no one else was around, he would go mad, releasing his wrath upon whatever being happened to make him angry that day. Buildings and other non-human collateral damage didn't matter to him, so he wasn't slowed down by structures or road blocks as he swung his body around, smashing his elbows down like a professional wrestler would (who knew Bruce had a fondness for WWE). Tony knew that the Hulk did this rarely because it was difficult for a mass his size to get back up, but the smile that graced his giant face was worth it.

_Hulk was a gentle giant._

Clint liked heights because it gave him a greater field of vision, and it was better for his safe keeping when he was far from the blast of his explosive arrows. He was always jumping and firing, using his bow as if he was extending his hand. Unfortunately, poorly made buildings were a _common_ thing, and Clint was always getting on top of collapsing infrastructures. Tony was a lot more involved in his fight than the other's, simply because of Clint's need to fly through the air rather than fall when the perch he'd been shooting from began to crumble. Clint, like Steve, was extremely fast and used a lot of acrobatics.

_Clint was a bird man._

Natasha's fighting style was a mix of many things, simply because her background varied. Her maneuvers usually required strength from her legs when it was hand-to-hand combat. If she happened to be shooting a gun, like a normal human being (which was a _rare_ thing to find on the team), she'd always make sure to move whilst firing. This method kept her from becoming a sitting duck, and it was easier for her to move _with_ her target rather than just shoot. Gymnastics played a big part in her routine, and her method of intimidation happened to be the friendliest smile she could muster.

_Natasha was a friendly flier._

Tony had seen replays of the Manhattan Battle months after it happened (alien invasion was a _big_ thing, he supposed), and had Jarvis look over it, to suggest improvements. He knew that he tended to go in guns blazing, or so it seemed, but in all actuality he had thought about that particular outcome before it had happened and was only prepared - something he couldn't stress enough, he _wasn't_ irrational or neglectful or risky. He had planned everything out before it even had the _chance_ of happening, and _no one_ could understand that, so he was left to stand there afterwards as they stared on in shock, congratulating him for being _lucky_ when luck had _nothing_ to do with it.

_Tony was a canned calculator._

#

He'd fought with (not against, shocking, aye) Captain America, and _they fit_. They clicked like a _fucking seatbelt_ , and no one could deny that, not with the footage. Tony _was_ a team player, and from the moment he'd opened his eyes to find Steve staring down at him, he knew that everyone else had figured that out too.

It seemed Natasha was the first to discover his not-so-selfish self.

Natasha's apology had been sporadic, an hour or so after Shawarma, when they'd all found themselves in SHIELD medical, getting looked over.

" _Look_ Stark." She started, lips pursed and hair perfect, even if she'd just participated in saving the world. Tony had flinched, because _holy shit_ , Natasha was talking to him kindly, in her free time, _by choice._

"I know that I treated you unfairly in my report-"

He couldn't stop himself, grimacing as he rubbed at his shoulder in pain, " _And_ stabbed me in the neck, don't forget tha-"

He was cut off, not by words, but by the smile that graced her lips.

"Like I was saying, I was unfair, and I'd like to officially apologize."

She was leaning in close to him as he sat on a stretcher, feet swinging over the edge. Natasha's lips touched the spot on his neck where she'd dosed him up after he'd been poisoned by the same device that was keeping him alive.

Tony shivered, his eyes closed, and by the time he opened them again, she was gone.

#

Steve's apology came a week later, and it was more unexpected than Natasha's.

Because Steve _hated_ him, team player or not, he was Howard's disappointing off-spring and that was that.

But Tony remembered meeting the captain's eyes mid-battle, seeing the gratefulness held in his irises as they bounded off one another, Tony shooting off of his shield, reflecting the damage onto the common enemy. Steve had smiled with pride and Tony had _never_ felt more important.

It had been a connection, a moment of clarity; they were one mass, _finally_ together instead of fighting against one another.

Of course directly after Tony was put to the test with a deadly mission; to save the entirety of New York from a _motherfucking_ nuke.

As if he hadn't had enough on his hands, what with the whole alien invasion and Steve actually liking _him_ , smiling _at_ him.

Tony ended up flying towards space's asshole with Steve notifying him that he would probably die.

"You _know_ that's a one way trip." The captain had sounded solemn, maybe respectful; it had done nothing to stave off Tony's fear of death (god knows he _deserves_ hell), and it had reassured him that the choice he'd made was acceptable, at least to a hero.

Tony had been _prepared_ \- as he'd been for everything in his life - to die, but he had not expected Steve to show some sort of kindness to him (other than pity) before he met his end.

Of course he had _known_ it was a one way trip, Tony, to put it truthfully, knows _a lot_ of things; _most_ things, in fact. He knows that when portals close, whatever's on the other side tends to stay there - which was the _whole_ point, obviously. The nuke needed to go off in a safe zone and the Chitauri _needed their asses whooped_.

Luckily, he was falling before he managed to witness the explosion completely, because if he hadn't, then he wouldn't have been falling at all.

He would've _floated_ , weightless and dead.

He would've been left in space, body suspended and bloated, and no matter how hard life had been, he never wanted it to end in an extraterrestrial darkness (Tony had always figured it'd be during battle and he'd make one wrong move, maybe his calculations were off and that'd be it - he'd die a hero).

Steve's eyes were the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes again, and they were anything but dark, so that was a cool relief.

Then the entire team went and got lunch, and Steve had stayed distant ever since. Gone was the happy smile, the comforting hand on his chest when he'd first fell from space.

Steve, the confusing man that he was, showed right back up a week later, knocking swiftly on the glass door to the lab. Tony was so perplexed that he'd went to the door himself and opened it, brows knitted (he was sure if Jarvis had a face, he'd be frowning, because Tony had always instructed his AI to open or block access - this was different and _so very_ vulnerable).

"Hey Tony,"

Tony? That was _new_ , oddly so. _Stark_ was a common phrase out of the captain's mouth, but it was usually spit out like it burned and accompanied by a few insults, all varying in degrees of hurt (from a mild jab to something that could start a Civil War).

Steve was following Tony back to his desk, which Tony didn't intend to happen, but it wasn't like he could stop it now. Steve was looking at him with enthusiastic features, and Tony was nothing but suspicious.

"Can I talk to you?"

Steve's voice was almost as weary as Tony felt, and it gave off an odd vibe; the captain's expression didn't match his tone, and that meant something _difficult_ was about to come out of the man's mouth.

Something confusing, something with feeling _and_ meaning.

Tony could only clutch onto his desk chair like a lifeline.

"Go 'head, you're _already_ doing so."

Steve smiled at the joke, which Tony hadn't intended, but had simply come out as such.

"Right, sorry, I'm just nervous an-"

" _You_ , nervous?" Tony cocked a brow, keeping up his _no-I'm-not-panicking_ façade. He laughed a little, but it sounded broken to his own ears. "Please tell me there's not another invasion."

_Pretty pretty please._

"No, no," A laugh from Steve was like music to Tony's ears, and he reminded himself to have Jarvis make copies later so he could blare it as loud as his Black Sabbath albums. "Of course not," Steve met his eyes, expression unreadable, a single nod, a sign of respect. "You took care of that."

Tony _did_ , he realized. It came back to him and he felt his heart pounding. Breathing became increasingly difficult but he wouldn't faint in front of Captain America, especially when he was being recognized for something _positive_.

"Yup, easy as-"

 _Nothing_ in Tony's life had been easy, and he'd hate to be cliché and say _pie_.

"the Staples button. You know, because it says easy."

Tony's voice trailed off and he felt himself flush; how cringe worthy could this get before Steve just left him or hit him in the face - he deserved it after saying _that_. Steve nodded, happy to have found a relevant reference.

"I'm familiar with that commercial." He paused, looking down at Tony, face growing serious. "But I need to do something I've been meaning to do for a while now."

" _Oh_ -okay." Tony stuttered out, watching as Steve got on _one fucking knee_ , proposal style. He took Tony's hand from it's death grip on the chair arm rest and rubbed his thumb over it.

Be still my barely beating-shrapnel-surrounded heart.

Or you know, _don't_ , because the room was spinning and he really didn't want to die _in front_ of Captain America.

"You're an A1 type of man, an A1 type of teammate Tony, and I couldn't be more sorry for those things I said. I'm older and I should've known not to poke you when you were under so much stress while you were trying to figure out the whole Loki thing."

"Um, I'm, I'm sorry _too_ , and wow, A1, huh, that's, that's a new one, well, not new, _pretty_ old actually, jus' hadn't heard you say it before, uh, sorry-"

Tony was beet red and shaky, and Steve seemed to pick up on it right away.

"Tony, calm down. You don't have to be nervous around me anymore. You proved your worth to me because I was too blind to see it and I appreciate that. It took a lot of courage."

 _Breath, Tony_. It wasn't like Captain America, the _most_ courageous motherfucker out there, had just called _you_ worthy _and_ courageous; all of the things your father had told you that you had lacked from the moment you could process words-

"Yup. _Calming_ down-"

He was so _not_ calming down. Jarvis was going to save this in a file called, 'Shit That Never Happens', because Tony was barely appreciated by _anyone_ , never less Steve.

Yeah, he was definitely _not breathing_.

"So I've talked to the team and spoke to Fury. I want to be _your_ captain, if you'll accept the team and I. I got confirmation today and it's official. You can be an Avenger if you'd like, we'll have to sign some papers-"

"Really?"

Paperwork seemed like an underwhelming process to apply for a position in the most powerful boyband ever.

Steve's grin was as wide as the moon as he squeezed Tony's cold hand.

"Really Tony. So, whaddya say?"

"I say-"

Shit, what was he supposed to say? _Oh, yeah, I'll play with the big kids now because they finally like me, all I ever wanted and needed was your acceptance. I can't deal with anybody not liking me, it makes me cry-_

Then again, all he'd ever wanted was a chance to redeem himself from the past, and maybe space had turned over a new leaf for him.

Maybe he could be who he always was, Tony Stark, the biggest team player out there.

" _Yes_ , Captain Rogers. I say yes."

Steve's blinding smile only reassured him that he'd made the right decision, just as before when he'd saved the world, only he knew this one wouldn't land him in space.

The blonde slapped his thigh, standing and pulling Tony with him, hugging him tightly; Tony could only squeak, standing as stiff as a pole - _this_ would take time, but he could do it.

For _his_ captain, for _his_ team.

"Welcome to the team, soldier."

Tony smiled, and hugged his captain back.

"Now," Tony pulled away, back to business as usual. Steve rolled his eyes fondly, watching as Tony's fingers tapped against his chin, "I'd like to talk to you about the real enemy. A pressing matter that is literally surrounding us."

Steve's brow knitted, "Another invasion?!"

Tony snorted, shaking his head, " _Fuck_ , I hope not, now shush. Look."

Tony pulled up a hologram of the Manhattan area and began clicking and pulling.

"As an official Avenger, it's my _duty_ to keep people safe; Cap, these buildings are made of _cardboard_."

Steve chuckled, loud and boisterous, and Tony was _damn_ well saving that one for his ringtone.

~*~

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you haven't, check out my other works in this series! Tony Angst galore!


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